The generation process of second harmonic (SH) radiation from holes periodically arranged on a metal surface is investigated. Three main modulating factors affecting the optical response are identified: the near-field distribution at the wavelength o
f the fundamental harmonic, how SH light couples to the diffraction orders of the lattice, and its propagation properties inside the holes. It is shown that light generated at the second harmonic can excite electromagnetic modes otherwise inaccessible in the linear regime under normal incidence illumination. It is demonstrated that the emission of SH radiation is only allowed along off-normal paths precisely due to that symmetry. Two different regimes are studied in the context of extraordinary optical transmission, where enhanced linear transmission either occurs through localized electromagnetic modes or is aided by surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). While localized resonances in metallic hole arrays have been previously investigated, the role played by SPPs in SH generation has not been addressed so far. In general, good agreement is found between our calculations (based on the finite difference time domain method) and the experimental results on localized resonances, even though no free fitting parameters were used in describing the materials. It is found that SH emission is strongly modulated by enhanced fields at the fundamental wavelength (either localized or surface plasmon modes) on the glass metal interface. This is so in the transmission side but also in reflection, where emission can only be explained by an efficient tunneling of SH photons through the holes from the output to the input side. Finally, the existence of a dark SPP at the fundamental field is identified through a noninvasive method for the first time, by analyzing the efficiency and far-field pattern distribution in transmission at the second harmonic.
Recent experiments (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 2085 (2011)) have demonstrated that the optical transmission through an array of subwavelength holes in a metal film can be enhanced by the intentional presence of dyes in the system. As the transmission
maxima occurs spectrally close to the absorption resonances of the dyes, this phenomenon was christened Absorption Induced Transparency. Here, a theoretical study on Absorption Induced Transparency is presented. The results show that the appearance of transmission maxima requires that the absorbent fills the holes and that it occurs also for single holes. Furthermore, it is shown that the transmission process is non-resonant, being composed by a sequential passage of the EM field through the hole. Finally, the physical origin of the phenomenon is demonstrated to be non-plasmonic, which implies that Absorption Induced Transparency should also occur at the infrared or Terahertz frequency regimes.
Surface electromagnetic modes supported by metal surfaces have a great potential for uses in miniaturised detectors and optical circuits. For many applications these modes are excited locally. In the optical regime, Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs)
have been thought to dominate the fields at the surface, beyond a transition region comprising 3-4 wavelengths from the source. In this work we demonstrate that at sufficiently long distances SPPs are not the main contribution to the field. Instead, for all metals, a different type of wave prevails, which we term Norton waves for their reminiscence to those found in the radio-wave regime at the surface of the Earth. Our results show that Norton Waves are stronger at the surface than SPPs at distances larger than 6-9 SPPs absorption lengths, the precise value depending on wavelength and metal. Moreover, Norton waves decay more slowly than SPPs in the direction normal to the surface.
Surface plasmon-polaritons have recently attracted renewed interest in the scientific community for their potential in sub-wavelength optics, light generation and non-destructive sensing. Given that they cannot be directly excited by freely propagati
ng light due to their intrinsical binding to the metal surface, the light-plasmon coupling efficiency becomes of crucial importance for the success of any plasmonic device. Here we present a comprehensive study on the modulation (enhancement or suppression) of such coupling efficiency by means of one-dimensional surface corrugation. Our approach is based on simple wave interference and enables us to make quantitative predictions which have been experimentally confirmed at both the near infra-red and telecom ranges.
